1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
As an example of an image communication apparatus, a facsimile apparatus is contemplated. A conventional facsimile apparatus generally employs a rolled sheet as a recording sheet, and recording or transmission is executed for each page, regardless of the length in a sub-scanning direction (sub-scanning length) of an image of a read original.
However, cut sheets of a fixed size are increasingly used in recent years, and, in case of recording or transmission of an original of a short sub-scanning length, an image is formed only on an upper area of a recording sheet, thereby resulting in wasted consumption of the recording sheets.
For this reason, as disclosed in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/691,680 filed on Aug. 2, 1996, such a method is proposed that when image data read by image reading means and stored in a memory is to be transmitted, if short length originals are in succession and the sum of sub-scanning length of successive pages does not exceed a predetermined sheet size, the successive plural pages are transmitted as one page of image.
This method allows to save the consumption of the recording sheets in a receiving side by transmitting the successive short length originals as one page.
In such conventional technology, however, regarding a transmission result report indicating a transmission start time, a transmission period, the number of transmitted pages and the result of transmission, for each transmission, or regarding a communication management list indicating the status of communication for each communication (these reports being hereinafter collectively called as a communication result record list) is the number of actually transmitted pages. Therefore, in case of reading plural sheets of originals and collectively transmitting successive short length originals as one page, the number of transmitted pages appearing on the transmission result record list is different from the number of read originals, so that a user cannot judge, from the list, whether all the pages have been transmitted.
Also, in a facsimile apparatus having so-called relay function for accumulating received image data in a memory, and recording the accumulated image data or transmitting the accumulated image data to plural facsimile apparatus designated by a terminal of a calling station, if received originals to be relayed are successive short length originals and are collectively transmitted as one page, the transmission result record list shows the number of relay-transmitted originals and the number of received original for relay being different from each other, thus puzzling the user.
Also, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 7-248307 filed on Oct. 3, 1995, a facsimile apparatus is porposed which stores image data of originals of plural pages read by image reader means and the number of lines of each page in a memory, takes as a threshold value the number of recordable lines at a receiving side obtained in view of the sub-scanning length of a recording sheet at a receiving side, and collectively transmits the image data of successive plural pages stored in the memory as one page if the sum of the recordable line numbers of the image data of the successive plural pages does not exceed the above-mentioned threshold value.
Also, in the conventional facsimile apparatus, only the number of pages actually transmitted is displayed.
However, in the above-explained conventional apparatus, in case the image data of successive plural pages stored in the memory is collectively transmitted as one page after checking the number of the recordable lines at the receiving side, the conventional display merely indicating the number of the transmitted pages does not allow the user to judge which pages read at the sending side are contained in said one page as received.
An object of the present invention is to improve the image communication apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which allows the user to easily and securely judge from the transmission result record list whether all the pages have been transmitted, and in which, in case the received originals designated for relay transmission are successive short length originals and are collectively transmitted as one page, the number of received originals for relay transmission and the number of relay-transmitted originals do not mutually differ on the transmission result record list.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which allows the user, in case the image data of successive plural pages stored in the memory is collectively transmitted as one page after checking the number of the recordable lines at the receiving side, to securely judge which pages read at the sending side are contained in the one page as received.